The History of the Philly Cheesesteak

For 84 years the Philly cheesesteak has been a favorite sandwich. Two brothers, Harry and Pat Olivieri, created the sandwich with sautéed beef and sautéed onions on a roll at a hot dog stand. Later, cheese was added. Melted cheese, usually American, provolone or Cheez Whiz, is added into the mix. Some other toppings, such as peppers, mayonnaise or ketchup, can be added.

The Olivieri brothers scraped up everything they had to open a hot dog stand in the city’s busiest area, the Italian open-air marketplace. They sold hot dogs for a nickel a piece until they accidentally invented the sandwich that became so popular they have to move from the cart into a local bar. Faster than the duo imagined, they were selling too many sandwiches for that location and outgrew it.

After finding creative ways to sell their sandwiches, Pat opened his own restaurant, Pat’s King of Steaks which was open 24 hours a day. The cheesesteak became so popular Sylvester Stallone in his role as Rocky ate a cheesesteak in the restaurant during a scene in the original 1976 Rocky movie. Since then, there have been celebrities, presidents and politicians who have stopped at the original cheesesteak restaurant.

Authentic Flavor

Throughout the years, different variations of the cheesesteak have been created. There are even chicken cheesesteak sandwiches. However, the original cheesesteak remains the most popular of all the variations. While there are many dining establishments serving up authentic Philly cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, there are a few restaurants that serve the authentic Philly sandwiches in other cities.

You can get a taste of authentic Philly cheesesteak in many areas across the country. We serve up original Philly cheesesteaks right here in New York. After having undergone extensive culinary training in Philadelphia, we brought the original flavor here to our establishment. Come visit us today for an original Philly cheesesteak sandwich right here on Staten Island.